Sinks and methods of making the same

ABSTRACT

A sink includes a bottom surface forming an opening for drainage therein, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, each of which is extended from the bottom surface, and a ledge fixedly attached to top ends of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls. The bottom surface and the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a same thickness, and a thickness of the ledge is different from the thickness of the bottom surface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/806,245, filed on Feb. 15, 2019,the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology is generally related to sinks and methods formaking the sinks.

BACKGROUND

Generally, sinks have been used for residential and commercial kitchensand bathrooms because they can contain fluid and/or materials in theirinterior space and operations can be performed therein such as cleaningand washing dishes, pots, utensils, etc. and preparing food. Modernsinks add both functionality and decorative decor and are manufacturedfrom many materials and in many designs. In the current marketplace,stainless steel sinks are particularly desirable. Most applicationsutilize fairly standard sized sinks to accommodate the limitations ofexisting spaces and to reduce the cost of pure custom designed furnitureand plumbing work.

Prior art kitchen and bathroom sinks are often installed in cabinets andare typically mounted to the countertop via drop in, as under mount or aflush mount, described as the relationship between the rim of the sinkand the countertop. Typically, prior art sinks have a rim or flange thatis flat, thin and narrow with rounded edges. Drop in sinks are placedthrough a pre-cut hole in the countertop with the flange or lip aroundthe sink providing a substantial portion of the support. Common problemsof drop in sinks include improper seating of the flange in the pre-cutcountertop, gaps between the flange and the countertop and insufficientflange support for the weight of the basin.

In addition, materials and conventional sink manufacturing methods haveinherent limitations on the suitability and sustainability of many sinkdesigns for drop in sinks. For example, stainless steel sinks aretraditionally stamped from sheet metal or punched from a mold, resultingin rounded or beveled edges. This rounded edge feature createsundesirable gaps between the edges of the sink and the countertop.

Still further, with limited counter space in many homes, home owners areusing the sink space for preparing food. Thus, the size of the innerspace of the sinks is important based on the needs of the homeowner andsome sinks may include a divider for such purposes. Currentmanufacturing processes of sinks with dividers to form two separatebasins have compromised the sustainability and durability of such metalsinks.

Moreover, because counter space is limited and sink space has becomeuseful for food preparation a multi-workstation sink that can performdifferent functions is desired. Accordingly, it is desirable to providea durable and sustainable sink unit with a novel rim or flange formounting with the option of a divider in the basin to form multiplebasins for different uses and adapted to be used as a multi-workstationsink.

SUMMARY

The techniques of this disclosure provide a sink, and methods of makinga durable and sustainable sink, which can be firmly attached to acountertop of a cabinet or any other fixtures, which provides at leasttwo basins without substantially decreasing the volume of the sink, andwhich functions as a multi-workstation sink.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a sink includes a bottomsurface forming an opening for drainage therein, a first sidewall, asecond sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, each of whichis extended from the bottom surface, and a ledge fixedly attached to topends of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls. The bottomsurface and the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a samethickness, and a thickness of the ledge is different from the thicknessof the bottom surface.

In various embodiments, the thickness of the ledge is greater than orequal to 3 millimeters.

In various embodiments, the thickness of the bottom surface is less thanor equal to 1.6 millimeters.

In various embodiments, the ledge includes first, second, third, andfourth parts, which correspond to the first, second, third, and fourthsidewalls, respectively.

In various embodiments, an outer part of the ledge is beveled.

In various embodiments, the sink further includes a divider fixedlyattached to a linear opening in the first and third sidewalls and thebottom surface.

In various embodiments, a width of the divider is greater than or equalto 3 mm.

In various embodiments, the divider is welded to the linear opening.

In various embodiments, the sink further includes at least one floatingledge on two facing sides of the first, second, third, and fourthsidewalls.

In various embodiments, the floating ledge is substantially parallelwith the bottom surface.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a method for manufacturinga sink includes cutting a first metal to form a bottom surface, a firstsidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall,cutting an opening for drainage in the bottom surface, foldingboundaries between the bottom surface and each of the first, second,third, and fourth sidewalls, welding an edge of each pair of adjacenttwo sidewalls of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls so as tomake the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls upright from thebottom surface, and welding four pieces of a second metal different fromthe first metal used in the cutting to make a ledge having first,second, third, and fourth parts, welding the ledge to top ends of thefirst, second, third, and fourth sidewalls. The bottom surface and thefirst, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a same thickness, and athickness of the ledge is different from the thickness of the bottomsurface.

In various embodiments, the thickness of the ledge is greater than orequal to 3 millimeters.

In various embodiments, the thickness of the bottom surface is less thanor equal to 0.16 millimeters.

In various embodiments, the ledge includes first, second, third, andfourth parts, which correspond to the first, second, third, and fourthsidewalls, respectively.

In various embodiments, the method further includes beveling an outerpart of the ledge.

In various embodiments, the method further includes cutting off a linearopening in the first and third sidewalls and the bottom surface, andwelding a divider into the linear opening.

In various embodiments, a width of the divider is greater than or equalto 3 mm.

In various embodiments, the method further includes folding a portion ofone sidewall among the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls toform at least one floating ledge protruding from the one sidewall.

In various embodiments, the floating ledge is substantially parallelwith the bottom surface.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a non-transitory computerreadable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a computer,cause the computer to perform a method for manufacturing a sink. Themethod includes cutting a first metal to form a bottom surface, a firstsidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall,cutting an opening for drainage in the bottom surface, foldingboundaries between the bottom surface and each of the first, second,third, and fourth sidewalls, welding an edge of each pair of adjacenttwo sidewalls of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls so as tomake the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls upright from thebottom surface, and welding four pieces of a second metal to make aledge having first, second, third, and fourth parts. The ledge to topends of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls, the bottomsurface and the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a samethickness, and a thickness of the ledge is different from the thicknessof the bottom surface.

The details of one or more aspects of the disclosure are set forth inthe accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosurewill be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a sink with one basin in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the basin of FIG. 1 in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a diagram of a ledge of the sink of FIG. 1 in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the ledge 300 of FIG. 3A inaccordance with embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sink with two basins and a divider inaccordance with embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a diagram of the basin of FIG. 4 in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a cross sectional view of a divider on the right and a frontview of the divider on the left in accordance with embodiments of thedisclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a basin including an inclined bottom surface inaccordance with embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a diagram of a basin including a floating ledge in accordancewith embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the basin of FIG. 7A, whencompleted, in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7C is an expanded view of “D” of FIG. 7A in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing a method of making a sink in accordancewith embodiments of the disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram for performing operations to make a sink inaccordance with embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As disclosed, sinks may be configured to include one or more basins. Thesinks may also be configured to include one or more floating ledgeswithout decreasing the total volume of the sink. Further, the sinks mayinclude one or more steps, ledges or flanges, which increase the volumeof the sink. Furthermore, the thickness of a ledge, which is welded tothe one or more basins, may be configured to be different from thethickness of the basin of the sink. The list of sinks as described inthis disclosure provide examples and can include other variants asreadily appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Like numerals in the present disclosure generally refer to the sameparts or elements of the sinks. For example, 130 a-130 d of FIG. 1, 230a-230 d of FIG. 2, 530 a-530 d of FIGS. 5, and 630 a-630 d of FIG. 6refer to the same parts or elements for four vertical sidewalls of thesinks. When descriptions for the same parts for different sinks areduplicative or redundant, such descriptions may be omitted for the sinkand refer to the corresponding descriptions for sinks previouslydescribed.

Some reference numerals are omitted from the figures because suchreference numerals can be readily appreciated by a person having skillin the art even with omission thereof. For example, FIG. 4 does notinclude 430 a-430 d because a person of skill in the art would readilyappreciate the four vertical sidewalls of the sink even with omission ofsuch reference numerals. In this case, descriptions of the omittedreference numerals can be found in sinks previously described in FIGS.1-3.

Referring to FIG. 1, a sink 100 includes four parts 110 a-110 d (as awhole “110”) of a ledge, a drain 120 for draining liquids or foodstuffs,four vertical walls or sides 130 a-130 d, and a bottom surface 140. Thefour vertical sidewalls 130 a-130 d and the bottom surface 140 form abasin, which provides an inner space for performing operations, such aswashing.

The ledge 110 may be provided so that the sink 100 may sit on acountertop of a cabinet. The ledge, which is a combination of the fourparts 110 a-110 d and is referred to as deck 110, may be formed by anymaterial known in the sink art, such as stainless steel. The fourvertical sidewalls 130 a-130 d and the bottom surface 140 may be formedby the same material, such as stainless steel. As known in the art,steel is measured by gauge, with thinner stainless steel having a highergauge number, and thicker stainless steel having a lower number. Forexample, an 18 gauge (0.05 inches) sink is more durable and moreexpensive than a 22 gauge (0.0312 inches) stainless steel sink which aremore susceptible to bowing, denting and dings. Stainless steel made ofthin gauges is adequate for smaller sinks. However, larger sinks aremore efficient and functional when they are thicker. A 20 gauge, whichis 0.0375 inches, is a better option with 18-19 gauge sinks being astandard size and at the lower end of the price scale. An even morecostly and better quality sink is a 16 gauge, and is 0.0625 inches(about 1.59 millimeters (“mm”)) in thickness, mostly used in commercialestablishments.

In the present disclosure, the thickness of the deck 110 may be thickerthan the thickness of the material that forms the four verticalsidewalls 130 a-130 d and the bottom surface 140. In an aspect, thematerial that forms the four vertical sidewalls 130 a-130 d and thebottom surface 140 may be 16-gauge stainless steel (about 1.59 mm) andthe deck 110 may be at least 3 mm (about 0.12 inches) stainless steel.Thus, the deck 110 being about twice as thick as the four verticalsidewalls 130 a-130 d can provide more durability and stability thansimply a total 16-gauge stainless steel sink. In an aspect, thematerial, which forms the deck 110, the four vertical sidewalls 130a-130 d, and the bottom surface 140, may be any metal or non-metal,which can be utilized and readily understood for sinks by a personhaving skill in the art.

In an aspect, the part 110 a of the deck 110 may be wider than the otherthree parts 110 b-110 d of the deck 110 and is configured to house thefaucet, a filter, a dispenser for soap or lotion or other items known inthe art and any accessories typically found near a faucet. In anotheraspect, the four parts 110 a-110 d may have the same thickness.

The deck 110 may be beveled at outer portions of the four parts 110a-110 d. By decreasing the thickness of the deck 110 toward thecountertop of the cabinet, the sink 100 may appear to be integrated withthe countertop. In other words, the transition from the countertop tothe deck 110 may be smooth. In other words, when an item is swept intothe sink 100, the item is not caught in or under the deck 110 of thesink 100. The shape of the beveled parts may be linear or curved.

The sink 100 further has four grooves 145 starting from the drain 120 tofour corners formed by the four vertical sidewalls 130 a-130 d and thebottom surface 140. The four grooves 145 may lead water or fluid in thebasin to the drain 120 to expedite drainage. The four grooves 145 mayfurther provide for aesthetic features.

The location of the drain 120 may be determined based on needs ofcustomers. For example, the drain 120 may be located in the center, topright, top left, bottom right, or bottom left of the bottom surface 140of the basin.

Referring to FIG. 2, and a method of making a sink of the presentdisclosure, a two-dimensional pattern 200 for the basin of the sink 100of FIG. 1 is drawn on a material, which may be stainless steel. Thepattern 200 includes a drain 220, similar to drain 120, four rectangles230 a-230 d, similar to the four vertical sidewalls 130 a-130 d, and abottom 240, similar to the bottom surface 140. Thus, the pattern 200 isa basin of the sink 100 after cutting, folding, welding, and smootheningout the sink.

The pattern 200 may be drawn on a sheet of stainless steel, of whichthickness may be equal to or less than 16 gauge or about 1.6 mm. Thepattern 200 has dotted lines and solid lines. The solid lines are to becut, and the dotted lines are to be folded ninety degrees toward theinside. The pattern 200 also includes dash-dotted lines 245, which areto be pressed to make the dash-dotted lines 245 groove downward. Suchgrooves may facilitate water or any liquid to the drain 220. Pressingmay form a declining angle of about 3° to about 8° from the normal planeor main level of the base of the sink. Further, the pressing may causethe bottom of the drain 220 to be lower than the general bottom of thebasin.

The bottom surface of the basin may be downwardly inclined toward thedrain 220 while pressing the dash-dotted lines 245. With the grooves andthe downward inclination toward the drain 220, the water or fluidcontained in the sink 100 can be drained efficiently.

For example, the outer boundaries, solid lines, of the four rectangles230 a-230 d are cut and the inside boundaries, dotted lines, of the fourrectangles 230 a-230 d are folded ninety degrees toward the inside orfacing each other. The solid circular line 220 of the bottom 240 is cutso as to make an opening for drainage in the bottom 240.

The pattern 200 also includes four corners, where adjacent two of thefour rectangles 230 a-230 d meet. Area A where the rectangles 230 b and230 c meet is magnified to show details of the corner of the pattern200. As shown, the rectangles 230 b and 230 c do not perpendicularlymeet at the corner. Rather, a portion of the corner is cut toward theinside by a predetermined distance. After the four rectangle parts 230a-230 d are folded to make four vertical sidewalls of the sink 100, eachpair of adjoining edges of the four rectangles 230 a-230 d is weldedtogether and smoothened out.

The circular portion referenced by “A” shows an expanded view of one offour bottom corners, meaning that the other three bottom corners havethe same shape as shown in the expanded view. The corner has a cut-outportion to be welded and smoothened out. Thus, the welded and smoothenedcut-out corner 250 makes the corner round and smooth without a sharpcorner or edge. The shape of the cut-out corner 250 may be in any shape,which may turn out smooth and round when welded.

Further, the expanded view also includes dash-dotted lines 255 along thevertical sidewalls and starting around the cut-out portion 250. Thedash-dotted lines 255 are to be pressed similar to the dash-dotted lines245. When the dash-dotted lines 255 are pressed and the dotted lines arebent, two adjacent vertical lines of the vertical sidewalls 230 b and230 c meet each other and become smooth and rounded when weldedtogether.

Furthermore, the folded lines of the four rectangles 230 a-230 d may bealso smoothened out in a similar manner as the dash-dotted lines 255 arepressed and welded together.

In another aspect, the welding may be performed by laser, light, or anymetal arc welding means. Further, the welding is performed outside ofthe sink 100, such that the welding marks are not seen from the insideof the sink 100.

Next, the basin of the sink 100 needs to be welded with a deck tocomplete the sink 100. FIG. 3A shows a deck 300 including four parts 310a-310 d. These four parts 310 a-310 d may be cut out from a sheet ofstainless steel. The thickness of the stainless steel of the deck 300may be thicker than the stainless steel for the basin. In an aspect, thethickness of the deck 300 may be 3 mm while the thickness of thestainless steel for the pattern 200 may be 16 gauge or about 1.6 mm.

In an aspect, the end portions of the four parts 310 a-310 d may have a45° shape so that, when the four parts 310 a-310 d are put together, thefour parts 310 a-310 d may form a deck.

The four parts 310 a-310 d may be welded together to form the deck 300as the deck 110 of FIG. 1. The welding may be performed outside of thebasin so that the welding marks are not seen from inside of the basin.The outer portions of the deck 300 may be beveled so that the thicknessbecomes shallow toward the end of the outer portion of the deck. Forexample, FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the deck 300 along theB-B direction of FIG. 3A. The slope from the top surface of the deck 300to the bottom surface of the deck 300 may be linear as shown in FIG. 3B.The connection between the edge of the top surface and the edge of thebottom surface may be linear, concave, convex, or curved. In this way,when the sink 100 sits on a countertop, the outer edges of the deck 300forms a smooth transition between the sink 100 and the countertop.

The inside of the deck 300 may match the inside of the basin formed fromthe pattern 200 of FIG. 2. When welded to the basin of FIG. 2, the deck300 appears protruding outside from the top of the basin. Further, thedeck 300 may sit on a countertop of a cabinet. In an aspect, the deckmay be glued to the bottom surface of the countertop of the cabinet. Dueto the thickness of the deck 300, which is greater than the thickness ofthe basin, the deck 300 may provide more stability and durability inholding materials and liquid inside the basin. Further, the thickness ofthe deck 300 may prevent waviness after installation and damages duringshipping, thereby making the deck 300 more durable.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sink 400 in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. The sink 400 includes every element of the sink 100of FIG. 1 and a divider 460, such that sink 400 has two basins. The sink400 may have one drain in each basin. Descriptions of similar or sameelements of the sink 400 as the sink 100 of FIG. 1 may be found in FIGS.1-3 above.

The height of the divider 460 may be less than the height of the basinof the sink 400 so that movements of solid or liquid between two basinsare easier. In an aspect, the thickness of the divider 460 may be fromabout 2.5 mm to about 5 mm, with embodiments of about 4 mm or 0.16inches. In an aspect, the material of the divider 460 is the same as thebasin of the sink 400. Even though the thickness of the divider 460 isgreater than the thickness of the basin or the deck of the sink 400,0.16 inches is much smaller than the conventional dividers in the sinkart. Thus, the divider 460 is very thin compared to the volume of thebasin and may not substantially reduce the volume of the inner space ofthe basin. The divider 460 may be positioned in the middle, more towardsthe right or more towards the left in a width direction.

FIG. 5A illustrates a pattern 500 for the basin of the sink 400 of FIG.4 and FIG. 5B illustrates a divider 560 of the sink 400. The pattern 500includes four rectangles 530 a-530 d, which become the four verticalsidewalls of the sink 400. Detailed descriptions for the four rectangles530 a-530 d can be found in the description of the four rectangles 230a-230 d of FIG. 2 above.

The pattern 500 further includes two drains 520 a and 520 b, of whichdescriptions can also be found when discussing the drain 220 of FIG. 2.In an aspect, the drain 520 a on the right side may be positioned thesame distance from the dotted edge of the rectangle 530 a as the drain520 b from the dotted edge of the rectangle 350 a. The position of thedrain 520 a may be determined independently from the position of thedrain 520 b. The size of the drains 520 a and 520 b may be determinedbased on the area of the corresponding basin.

Further, the pattern 500 also includes dash-dotted lines, which are tobe pressed to make the dash-dotted lines groove downward to the drains520 a and 520 b. Such grooves may be configured to facilitate water orany liquid to the drains 520 a and 520 b.

The bottom surface may be downwardly inclined toward the opening whilepressing the dash-dotted lines. With the grooves and the downwardinclination toward the drains 520 a and 520 b, the water or fluidcontained in the sink can be drained efficiently.

Two bottoms 540 a and 540 b become bottom surfaces of two basins whenthe pattern 500 is cut and folded according to the solid, dotted, anddash-dotted lines thereon.

The pattern 500 further includes a strip 555 for a divider. The strip555 may have a width W and a length 2H+L. When solid lines of the strip555 are cut, the inside is cut off and a strip-like opening is formed inthe pattern 500. In particular, the opening is formed on the part of twovertical sidewalls formed in the rectangles 530 a and 530 c by H, and isformed between the bottoms 540 a and 540 b by L. In an aspect, the shortedges of the strip 555 may be rounded. When the dash-dotted lines arepressed, the drains 520 a and 520 b may be lowered so that water orliquid can be led to the drains 520 a and 520 b. As such, the strip 555may be distanced from both drains 520 a and 520 b so that the strip 555and the divider can be welded with ease.

FIG. 5B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a divider 560 on the rightand a front view of the divider 560 on the left. In an aspect, thematerial of the divider 560 may be the same as the material on which thepattern 500 is drawn. For example, the material is 16-gauge stainlesssteel, which is about 1.6 mm thick. In another aspect, the width of thestrip 555 may be 4.0 mm, which is greater than twice the thickness ofthe 16-gauge stainless steel.

The width W of the divider 560 may be equal to the width W of the strip555, and the height H of the divider 560 may be equal to H of the strip555. The length L of the divider 560 may be equal to L of the strip 555.The length side of the divider 560 in the bottom may be welded into thepart of the opening formed between the bottoms 540 a and 540 b. Bothheight sides of the divider 560 may be welded into the part of theopening formed in the vertical sidewalls, which are formed in therectangles 530 a and 530 c.

In an aspect, the top part of the divider 560 may be rounded. As such,the short edges of the strip 555 may also be rounded so that the roundedpart may fit into the rounded parts of the strip 555. In another aspect,the shape of the top part of the divider 560 may be rectangular,elliptical, or any other shape, which is to be matched with the shape ofthe short edges of the strip 555.

In aspects, the width of the divider 560 may be less than or equal to4.0 mm. When compared with dividers of conventional sinks, the width ofthe divider 560 is substantially smaller than those of the conventionalsinks. Thus, the divider 560 takes up minimal amount of volume of thebasin. Further, the welding is performed outside of the basin andwelding marks are smoothened out. Thus, there are no welding marks seenfrom inside of the basin.

In aspects, the top part of the divider 560 may be thinner than thebottom part of the divider 560. As such, the divider 560 may be insertedinto an opening of the strip 555 from the outside of the basin. Sincethe top part of the divider 560 is thinner than the width W of the strip555, the divider 560 may be easily inserted into the opening of thestrip 555. Further, it becomes easy to fit the bottom of the divider 560to the bottom of the strip 555.

Further, the deck such as the deck 110 of FIG. 1 may be welded with thebasin formed by the pattern 500. Welding may be also performed outsideof the basin and welding marks and lines may be smoothened out. Further,the welding may be performed inside of the basin and the welding marksand lines may be smoothened out by a polishing tool, which may include apencil-sized diamond polishing tool and any polishing tools suitable forremoving welding marks and lines. As such, the welding marks between thedeck and the basin cannot be seen from the inside and outside of thebasin.

FIG. 6 illustrates a pattern 600 for a basin, which has an inclinedbottom surface 640 a, in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure.The pattern 600 includes two parallelograms 630 a and 630 c. Theparallelograms 630 a and 630 c include two parallel vertical sidewalls,one is longer than the other. The length of the longer side of theparallelograms 630 a and 630 c is equal to the length of the top andbottom of the rectangle 630 d. The length of the shorter side of theparallelograms 630 a and 630 c is equal to the length of the top andbottom of the rectangle 630 b.

The drain 620 may be positioned toward the rectangle 630 d rather than630 b so that the drain 620 is positioned toward the lower part of theinclination. Each edge of the bottom surface 640 may also have a cut-outcorner such as the cut-out corner 250 of FIG. 2 so that each corner ofthe basin, when welded, can be made rounded. Further, the deck may bewelded to the top of the basin formed by the pattern 600.

FIG. 7A illustrates a pattern 700 of a basin, which includes a floatingdeck 790 and FIG. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the basin of FIG.7A, when completed, along the direction C-C in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure. The floating deck 790 increases thevolume of the basin, while the deck does not change the volume of thebasin. The pattern 700 includes two rectangles 730 a and 730 c, whichface each other. Each of the two rectangles 730 a and 730 c includesdotted lines 770 and dash-dot-dotted lines 780. The dotted lines 770 areto be folded in the same direction, i.e., inside the basin, as the otherdotted lines in the pattern 700. The dash-dot-dotted lines 780 are to befolded toward the outside of the basin. In particular, dotted lines 770are to be folded about 90 degrees toward the inside of the basin, whilethe dash-dot-dotted lines 780 are to be folded about 90 degrees towardthe outside of the basin. Thus, when folded properly, the part betweenthe dotted lines 770 and the dash-dot-dotted line 780 forms the floatingdeck 790, which is substantially parallel with the bottom surface of thebasin. As such, the floating deck 790 is not welded to the basin. Thewidth of the floating deck 790 may be less than or equal to about 0.59inches.

The floating deck 790 neither decreases nor increases the volume of thebasin. In an aspect, the pattern 700 may include two or more pairs ofthe dotted lines 770 and the dash-dot-dotted lines 780 so that the basinhas two or more floating decks. The floating deck formed on the bothvertical sidewalls 730 a and 730 c may be used to put a working board oraccessory thereon, so as to put items (e.g., dishes, kitchen utensils,etc.) while washing or for handling, storing or cutting food.

Further, the shapes of two vertical sidewalls 730 b and 730 d areadjusted according to the floating deck formed by the dotted lines 770and the dash-dot-dotted lines 780 in the vertical sidewalls 730 a and730 c, and are matingly-welded to the vertical sidewalls 730 b and 730d. The top surface of the basin may be welded to a deck such as the deck110 of FIG. 1.

In an aspect, the floating deck may be formed on the short sides of thebasin or on all vertical sidewalls of the basin. In another aspect, whenthere are two floating decks in the basin, one floating deck may beformed along the long side and the other floating deck may be formedalong the short side. A cutting board or a rolling mat may be placed onthe first floating deck formed along the long side and another accessorymay be placed on the second floating deck formed along the short side.In still another aspect, two floating deck may be formed along the samedirection, the long or short side of the basin.

In case when the floating decks are formed on the two facing shortvertical sidewalls 730 b and 730 d of the basin, an accessory such as acutting board may sit on the floating decks. As shown in FIG.7B, thewidth of the floating deck 790 is WL and the width of the lower portionof the basin 700 is WB. As such, an accessory can sit on the twofloating decks 790 when the width of the accessory is greater than WB+WLand less than or equal to WB+2WL. Based on the length of the basin 700,two or more accessories may sit on the floating deck 790 at the sametime, when the sum of the lengths of two or more accessories is lessthan or equal to the length of the basin 700.

In case when two or more levels of floating decks are vertically formedon the same two facing sides of the basin 700, accessories havingdifferent dimensions may sit on different levels of the floating decks.The accessories are dimensioned and configured to sit on thecorresponding floating deck.

FIG. 7C is the expanded view of “D” in FIG. 7A in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. Two vertical sidewalls 730 b and730 c have two sharp protrusions 745 a and 745 b from the top thereof.When folded and welded together, the two sharp protrusions 745 a and 745b form a deck of the sink 700. In an aspect, the angle θ₁ of the sharpprotrusion 745 a and the angle θ₂ of the sharp protrusion 745 b may be90° so that the sharp protrusions 745 a and 745 b fit to each other whenwelded together. In another aspect, θ₁ and θ₂ do not have to be a rightangle and thus, the sum of θ₁ and θ₂ may be 180°. Therefore, the sinkmade with this design may not require a deck, as shown in FIGS. 3A and3B, to be welded thereto. Further, the pattern having these two sharpprotrusions 745 a and 745 b may be applied to any designs shown in FIGS.2A-7A.

Each embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1-7C is not limited thereto but can becombined with each other to form a sink as appreciated by a personhaving ordinary skill in the art. Further, other types of sink may bealso encompassed by this disclosure without departing from the spirit ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a method 800 for manufacturing a sink in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 800 begins bydrawing a pattern for a basin of a sink on a metal sheet in step 810.The pattern may include an opening for a drain and a rectangular stripfor a divider. In an aspect, the rectangular strip for the divider maynot be included in the pattern. The thickness of the metal sheet may beless than or equal to 16-gauge or about 1.6 mm. The pattern may includesolid lines, which are to be cut, and dotted lines, which are to befolded 90 degrees toward an inside of the basin. Further, the patternmay include dash-dotted lines, which are to be pressed to make thedash-dotted lines grooves downward. Furthermore, the pattern may includedash-dot-dotted lines, which are to be folded 180 degrees toward anoutside of the basin.

In step 820, the solid lines are cut. An opening for a drain is also insolid lines. After cutting the solid lines on the metal sheet, the metalsheet becomes a skeleton for a basin of the sink. The cutting may bedone by laser, high energy light, water, or any other means to cut themetal sheet.

In step 830, the dotted lines of the pattern are folded to form fourvertical sidewalls of the basin. The dash-dotted lines are pressed so asto make a water way to the drainage in the bottom surface of the basin.Pressing may create a declining angle of from about 3° to about 8° fromthe main level of the base of the sink so that water can be drainedtoward the drainage. In a case when the pattern includes dash-dot-dottedlines, the dash-dot-dotted lines are folded by 90 degrees toward theoutside of the basin so as to form a floating deck, as shown in FIGS. 7Aand 7B.

The adjacent edges of the four vertical sidewalls are welded together instep 840. The welding may be performed from the outside of the basin sothat the welding marks are not seen from the inside of the basin.

The main basin may be divided into two or more smaller basins. In thiscase, each basin is separated by a divider. In this case, the patternmay also include a strip of solid lines, which are to be cut, inside ofthe basin. Step 850 may be performed for a sink having a divider. Whenthe solid lines are cut in step 820, the strip is also cut to leave along strip of an opening.

The divider may be cut out from the same metal sheet as the basin andfolded in half. Thus, the width of the divider may be slightly greaterthan twice the thickness of the metal sheet. In an aspect, the metalsheet may be stainless steel, of which the thickness may be less than orequal to 16-gauge, and the width of the divider may be less than orequal to about 4.0 mm. The top of the divider may be thinner than thebottom of the divider. Thus, the bottom of the divider may easily fit tothe opening of the strip by inserting the top of the divider fromoutside of the basin and from the bottom into the opening of the strip.The divider may then be welded into the opening. Welding may also beperformed from the outside of the basin.

In step 860, four rectangular pieces of another metal sheet differentfrom that for the basin are cut and welded together to form arectangular rim, configured as a deck of the sink. The inside of therectangular rim may fit to the top rectangular opening of the basin. Themetal sheet for the deck may be thicker than the metal sheet for thebasin. In an aspect, the thickness of the deck may be greater than orequal to 3.0 mm, and the thickness of the metal sheet for the basin maybe 16 gauge, about 1.6 mm. By making a deck thicker than the basin, thesink is configured to sit tightly on a countertop of a kitchen cabinet.

In step 870, the inside of the rectangular rim and the top edges of thebasin are welded together. The welding may be performed from the outsideof the basin. In an aspect, the deck may be beveled at the outer part ofthe rectangular rim. When the deck welded with the basin is located onthe countertop of the kitchen cabinet, the deck touches the top surfaceof the countertop. The beveled edge provides a smooth transition fromthe top surface of the countertop to the deck of the sink.

In step 880, the welded parts or edges are smoothened out. For example,the welded parts of the four vertical sidewalls and welded parts betweenthe deck and the basin are smoothened out outside of the sink. In anaspect, smoothening the welded parts may be performed inside of thebasin to remove any welding marks or any other visible marks. The method800 ends after the smoothening process in step 880.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram for a computing device 900, which isconfigured to perform operations to make a sink in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure. The computing device 900 may be connectedto one or more external devices and control the external devices to cut,fold, and weld metal sheets so as to make a sink by performing steps ofthe method 800. The computing device 900 may include, by way ofnon-limiting examples, server computers, desktop computers, laptopcomputers, notebook computers, sub-notebook computers, netbookcomputers, netpad computers, set-top computers, handheld computers,Internet appliances, mobile smartphones, tablet computers, personaldigital assistants, video game consoles, embedded computers, andautonomous vehicles. Those of skill in the art will recognize that manysmartphones are suitable for use in the system described herein.Suitable tablet computers include those with booklet, slate, andconvertible configurations, known to those of skill in the art.

In some embodiments, the computing device 900 includes an operatingsystem configured to perform executable instructions. The operatingsystem is, for example, software, including programs and data, whichmanages the device's hardware and provides services for execution ofapplications. Those of skill in the art will recognize that suitableserver operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples,FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD®, Linux, Apple® Mac OS X Server®, Oracle®Solaris®, Windows Server®, and Novell® NetWare®. Those of skill in theart will recognize that suitable personal computer operating systemsinclude, by way of non-limiting examples, Microsoft® Windows®, Apple®Mac OS X®, UNIX®, and UNIX-like operating systems such as GNU/Linux®. Insome embodiments, the operating system is provided by cloud computing.Those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable mobile smartphone operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples, Nokia®Symbian® OS, Apple® iOS®, Research In Motion® BlackBerry OS®, Google®Android®, Microsoft® Windows Phone® OS, Microsoft® Windows Mobile® OS,Linux®, and Palm® WebOS®.

In some embodiments, the computing device 900 may include a storage 910.The storage 910 is one or more physical apparatus used to store data orprograms on a temporary or permanent basis. In some embodiments, thestorage 910 may be volatile memory and requires power to maintain storedinformation. In some embodiments, the storage 910 may be non-volatilememory and retains stored information when the computing device 900 isnot powered. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory includes flashmemory. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory includes dynamicrandom-access memory (DRAM). In some embodiments, the non-volatilememory includes ferroelectric random-access memory (FRAM). In someembodiments, the non-volatile memory includes phase-change random accessmemory (PRAM). In some embodiments, the storage 910 includes, by way ofnon-limiting examples, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, magneticdisk drives, magnetic tapes drives, optical disk drives, and cloudcomputing-based storage. In some embodiments, the storage 910 may be acombination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

The computing device 900 further includes a processor 930, an extension940, a display 990, an input device 960, and a network card 970. Theprocessor 930 is a brain to the computing device 900. The processor 930executes instructions which implement tasks or functions of programs.When a user executes a program, the processor 930 reads the programstored in the storage 910, loads the program on the RAM, and executesinstructions prescribed by the program.

The processor 930 may include a microprocessor, central processing unit(CPU), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), arithmeticcoprocessor, graphic processor, or image processor, each of which iselectronic circuitry within a computer that carries out instructions ofa computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, controland input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions.

In embodiments, the extension 940 may include several ports, such as oneor more universal serial buses (USBs), IEEE 1394 ports, parallel ports,and/or expansion slots such as peripheral component interconnect (PCI)and PCI express (PCIe). The extension 940 is not limited to the list butmay include other slots or ports that can be used for appropriatepurposes. The extension 940 may be used to install hardware or addadditional functionalities to a computer that may facilitate thepurposes of the computer. For example, a USB port can be used for addingadditional storage to the computer and/or an IEEE 1394 may be used forreceiving moving/still image data.

In some embodiments, the display 990 may be a cathode ray tube (CRT), aliquid crystal display (LCD), or light emitting diode (LED). In someembodiments, the display 990 may be a thin film transistor liquidcrystal display (TFT-LCD). In some embodiments, the display 990 may bean organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. In various someembodiments, the OLED display is a passive-matrix OLED (PMOLED) oractive-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display. In some embodiments, the display990 may be a plasma display. In some embodiments, the display 990 may bea video projector. In some embodiments, the display may be interactive(e.g., having a touch screen or a sensor such as a camera, a 3D sensor,a LiDAR, a radar, etc.) that can detect userinteractions/gestures/responses and the like.

In still some embodiments, the display 990 is a combination of devicessuch as those disclosed herein.

A user may input and/or modify data via the input device 960 that mayinclude a keyboard, a mouse, or any other device with which the user mayinput data. The display 990 displays data on a screen of the display990. The display 990 may be a touch screen so that the display 990 canbe used as an input device.

The network card 970 is used to communicate with other computingdevices, wirelessly or via a wired connection. Through the network card970, the autonomous vehicle may receive, modify, and/or update data fromand to a managing server.

Any of the herein described methods, programs, algorithms or codes maybe converted to, or expressed in, a programming language or computerprogram. The terms “programming language” and “computer program,” asused herein, each include any language used to specify instructions to acomputer, and include (but is not limited to) the following languagesand their derivatives: Assembler, Basic, Batch files, BCPL, C, C+, C++,C#, Delphi, Fortran, Java, JavaScript, machine code, operating systemcommand languages, Pascal, Perl, PL1, python, scripting languages,Visual Basic, meta-languages which themselves specify programs, and allfirst, second, third, fourth, fifth, or further generation computerlanguages. Also included are database and other data schemas, and anyother meta-languages. No distinction is made between languages which areinterpreted, compiled, or use both compiled and interpreted approaches.No distinction is made between compiled and source versions of aprogram. Thus, reference to a program, where the programming languagecould exist in more than one state (such as source, compiled, object, orlinked) is a reference to any and all such states. Reference to aprogram may encompass the actual instructions and/or the intent of thoseinstructions.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives andmodifications can be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.The embodiments described with reference to the attached drawing figuresare presented only to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure.Other elements, steps, methods, and techniques that are insubstantiallydifferent from those described above and/or in the appended claims arealso intended to be within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sink comprising: a bottom surface forming anopening for drainage therein; a first sidewall, a second sidewall, athird sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, each of which is extended fromthe bottom surface; and a ledge fixedly attached to top ends of thefirst, second, third, and fourth sidewalls, wherein the bottom surfaceand the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a samethickness, and wherein a thickness of the ledge is different from thethickness of the bottom surface.
 2. The sink according to claim 1,wherein the thickness of the ledge is greater than or equal to 3millimeters.
 3. The sink according to claim 1, wherein the thickness ofthe bottom surface is less than or equal to 1.6 millimeters.
 4. The sinkaccording to claim 1, wherein the ledge includes first, second, third,and fourth parts, which correspond to the first, second, third, andfourth sidewalls, respectively.
 5. The sink according to claim 1,wherein an outer part of the ledge is beveled.
 6. The sink according toclaim 1, further comprising: a divider fixedly attached to a linearopening in the first and third sidewalls and the bottom surface.
 7. Thesink according to claim 6, wherein a width of the divider is greaterthan or equal to 3 mm.
 8. The sink according to claim 6, wherein thedivider is welded to the linear opening.
 9. The sink according to claim1, further comprising: a floating ledge on two facing sides of thefirst, second, third, and fourth sidewalls.
 10. The sink according toclaim 9, wherein the floating ledge is substantially parallel with thebottom surface.
 11. A method for manufacturing a sink, the methodcomprising: cutting a first metal to form a bottom surface, a firstsidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall;cutting an opening for drainage in the bottom surface; foldingboundaries between the bottom surface and each of the first, second,third, and fourth sidewalls; welding an edge of each pair of adjacenttwo sidewalls of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls so as tomake the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls upright from thebottom surface; welding four pieces of a second metal different from thefirst metal used in the cutting to make a ledge having first, second,third, and fourth parts; and welding the ledge to top ends of the first,second, third, and fourth sidewalls, wherein the bottom surface and thefirst, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have a same thickness, andwherein a thickness of the ledge is different from the thickness of thebottom surface.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein thethickness of the ledge is greater than or equal to 3 millimeters. 13.The method according to claim 11, wherein the thickness of the bottomsurface is less than or equal to 0.16 millimeters.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the ledge includes first, second, third,and fourth parts, which correspond to the first, second, third, andfourth sidewalls, respectively.
 15. The method according to claim 11,further comprising: beveling an outer part of the ledge.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 11, further comprising: cutting off a linear openingin the first and third sidewalls and the bottom surface; and welding adivider into the linear opening.
 17. The method according to claim 16,wherein a width of the divider is greater than or equal to 3 mm.
 18. Themethod according to claim 11, further comprising: folding a portion ofone sidewall among the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls toform a floating ledge protruding from the one sidewall.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 18, wherein the floating ledge is substantiallyparallel with the bottom surface.
 20. A non-transitory computer readablemedium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause thecomputer to perform a method for manufacturing a sink, the methodcomprising: cutting a first metal to form a bottom surface, a firstsidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall;cutting an opening for drainage in the bottom surface; foldingboundaries between the bottom surface and each of the first, second,third, and fourth sidewalls; welding an edge of each pair of adjacenttwo sidewalls of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls so as tomake the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls upright from thebottom surface; welding four pieces of a second metal to make a ledgehaving first, second, third, and fourth parts; and welding the ledge totop ends of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls, wherein thebottom surface and the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls have asame thickness, and wherein a thickness of the ledge is different fromthe thickness of the bottom surface.